Managed Services with ConcertIDC

Recently, while talking to a colleague about our Software Development "offerings," I mentioned that ConcertIDC does Managed Services. This colleague challenged me about this offering and argued, "You can't say you do managed services because that is the all-around IT infrastructure of an organization." While managed services can be about managing a company's "hard" technology infrastructure, I will stand on the hill that outsourced software development is managed services. Frankly, it is the core of ConcertIDC.

This conversation stuck with me for some reason, and I started wondering if everyone who buys IT services sees managed services this way. Gartner defines a managed service provider as an organization that "delivers services, such as network, application, infrastructure, and security, via ongoing and regular support and active administration on customers' premises, in their MSP's data center (hosting), or a third-party data center. MSPs may deliver their own native services in conjunction with other providers' services (for example, a security MSP providing sys admin on top of a third-party cloud IaaS). Pure-play MSPs focus on one vendor or technology, usually their own core offerings. The term MSP traditionally was applied to infrastructure or device-centric types of services but has expanded to include any continuous, regular management, maintenance and support."

The key to our conversation is in the last sentence: "The term MSP TRADITIONALLY was applied to infrastructure or device-centric types of services…" There it is: Tradition. Managed services have expanded since this term was first used in the 1990s. Most sources will tell you that the Managed Services model emerged from a wave of innovative technology that made remote logging into computers possible in the 1990s.

In the 30+ years since this term was first used, the rate of technological change has been exponential. Some experts even go as far as to say that in the 21st century, we will not experience 100 years of technological progress but instead 20,000 years of progress. It is inevitable that with this massive rate of progress, the terms used to describe technology services will also evolve.

What do I mean when I say we are a Software development firm that does managed services? ConcertIDC's software development managed service offering supports your software needs. Outsource the entire software development process, from planning to maintenance, so you can concentrate on running your business. We provide a dedicated team of experts to manage your software technology needs while your highly valuable internal resources focus on your strategic business needs.

Typically, in a managed service agreement, the team will consist of one or two subject matter experts or technology leaders working with a team dedicated to only your company/project. This team will comprise the right mix of UI/UX engineers, Business Analysts, Software Architects, Software Engineers, Cloud Engineers, Project Managers, and Quality Assurance Engineers. We focus on various tasks across design, development, testing, deployment, support, and maintenance categories.

Each customer's needs vary and are unique.

Just as the definition of Managed Services has evolved, so have the reasons organizations choose to use an MSP. When the term was coined, it included cost savings and reduced internal staff. While this is still a significant and valid reason for using an MSP, it is no longer the main reason. Now, instead of reducing staff, managed software development services allow organizations to utilize internal resources' expertise to solve business problems or opportunities while the MSP manages the "guts" of a system or what you might think of as the platform upon which solutions are built. It is the best of both worlds: internal expertise about your business and external knowledge about software development.

I stand by my statement that 'ConcertIDC does Managed Services". We have years of experience building custom software development solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our team collaborates closely with clients to understand their unique needs and develop software solutions that meet them. Whether developing a new application from scratch, producing an internal application for commercial use, or maintaining an existing one, we are committed to delivering high-quality services that exceed our clients' expectations.

Our clients are a testament to this statement. We have many long-term, 5+ year clients who view ConcertIDC as an essential part of their organization, and we view them as a necessary part of ours. We do managed services, so contact us if you seek a long-lasting, specific solution for your company.